Fire and Plot: Part Four
Hermione followed after Harry and Guy Fawkes as they walked through the dark corridors. Since they had all agreed to help Guy on his plan they had been on somewhat of a race, as soon as Hermione had pointed out that it was fast approaching midnight and that they must be running out of time.
Guy had pushed some boxes out of the way and shown them a door which he explained led to the underground corridors of the palace. As they had entered this `way out' Hermione had groaned, as her luck dictated they were barely lit and as she put her hand on the wall she realized that they were damp ridden as well.
Following behind them she was lost in her thoughts. How was Harry friends with a Phoenix? What challenge had he faced that Fawkes had had to help him with? And why hadn't she been told about all of this in the months she had known him?
They were now onto the fifth or sixth long, dark, damp corridor and the air was getting heavier and heavier with each step, so she quickly sped up to fall in line with Harry.
`What is our plan?' Hermione asked, breathing heavily as she attempted to keep up with them as they strolled through yet another corridor.
`Actually that's a very good question?' Guy said curiously looking at Harry.
`Well you know the saying' Harry said brightly `there's no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid answers'
`Is Fawkes leading the way?' Hermione asked as she watched the Phoenix float gracefully above their heads without moving its wings, a trick that kept on impressing her more with every second it lasted.
`I take that back' Harry said stopping in his tracks as he looked at her `because that's the stupidest question I've ever heard!'
`We could be!' Hermione huffed out at Harry's harshness.
`Look where following Fawkes has gotten Guy?' Harry said pointing casually at Guy, who looked rather insulted at Harry's words
`Good point' she admitted seeing the logic in his statement, but not wanting to hammer home the point too much and make Guy feel bad.
`I'll use Fawkes when and if I need to' Harry said with a smile as he carried on walking down the darkly lit corridor before adding absentmindedly `he likes to pop up at the last moment and save the day anyway'
`You two must be pretty close then' Hermione said laughing but Harry hadn't heard her as he came to a stop by a large flight of stairs `What's up there?'
`The dungeons' Guy said under his breathe, not even pretending to mask his apprehension that marked his every syllable.
`And why are we heading that way?' Hermione said, even though she knew they would, naturally, be going up there to do something dangerous.
`If you were looking for intruders where would be the last place you'd look?' Harry said brightly as he flashed her a smile.
`Good point' Hermione groaned as she led the way up the stairs, groaning as she realized with every step that the floor got wetter and sticker and she had to work hard to stop herself from thinking about what it was.
She pushed hard against the large wooden door at the top of the steps and felt it slowly click open, and she walked inside to inspect her most recent destination, and probable battleground.
Looking around she saw yet another corridor, but this time heavy barred alcoves which could only have been prison cells lined of against the walls, one after the other. The remnants of its last occupants remained in the alcoves in the shape of cloth and bone, and not wanting to look at this anymore than she had to she walked of down to the end of the corridor, finding herself in a small circular room, with two heavily barred windows on each side.
`This is where the guards would sit and taunt the prisoners' Guy said as he approached her `back when they still used this'
`I remember them days' Harry said sighing as he looked back at the rooms making Guy stare at him questioningly.
Fawkes flew up and landed on Harry's shoulder and started to sing a slow, methodical song that seemed to be drenched in sorrow.
`Please not that one, Fawkes' Harry sighed and looked at the Phoenix who instantly stopped and Harry quickly added `thanks'
`I've never known him to take orders before' Guy said impressed `and as I said, we've been bonded quite a while'
`Oh, we were never bonded' Harry said shaking his head `we were just friends'
`You sure are a strange young man, Harry' Guy said eyeing him with a smile.
`You don't know the half of it' Hermione said smiling at Harry who winked back at her.
Hermione watched closely as the two men stared at the Phoenix lovingly, Harry seemed ot have genuine and complete affection for this bird, more than she had probably seen for anything or anyone else. She quickly added this to her questions to ask before the bird suddenly leaped of Harry and spun around, disappearing in a shower of fire and stars.
`Where did he go?' Guy asked worriedly.
`That's an impossibly good question' Harry said breathlessly as he stared at the spot Fawkes had disappeared from before his eyes shot wide in amazement `that's… impossible…'
`Where has he gone?' Hermione asked curiously.
`I must have made a mistake' Harry said, his voice slow and thoughtful before he added more confidently `must have'
`Where did you think he had gone?' Hermione asked, everything about this Phoenix and its connection to Harry intrigued her, especially as he wasn't giving her any answers.
`Hang on…' Harry said as rubbed his eyes and looked around the room more seriously, but as soon as he had started his posture froze in what appeared to be shock.
`What do you see?' Guy asked taking a small step towards him.
`Now that's not good' Harry said as he stared at the empty space just to the side of Hermione `not good at all…'
`What isn't good?' Hermione said nervously.
`Double…even triple not good' Harry said shaking his head in dismay.
`Please Harry, tell us what happening?' Guy urged him, a look of foreboding colouring his otherwise attractive features.
`Now I'm leaning more towards quadruple not good' Harry said staring even more intently at the space beside her.
Hermione took a step closer to Harry and took his hand in hers, wrapping her little fingers softly around his palm. His eyes sparkled like he hadn't noticed her doing it and his eyes locked on hers for a moment before he smiled, sending a little chill up the back of her spine.
`Harry, what's wrong?' Hermione said softly, inching still slightly closer to him.
`I can see time, the simplest echoes of moments that have happened, images of what never happened, mere memories of what could have happened…even the ripples of time and space changing around us… ' Harry said softly as he ran a hand through his hair as he turned more casual `…if I try anyway'
`And what do you see now?' Hermione asked nervously, she hadn't known this about Harry and the idea scared her slightly, seeing all of that whenever he wanted to, or needed to.
`I think what's actually more important is what I don't see' Harry said softly, letting every word catch softly on his lips before he said them `we're not supposed to be here'
`But we are here' Hermione said nervously.
`Evidently' Harry said `but we're not supposed to be'
`Which means?' Hermione asked, already dreading Harry's eventual answer.
`It means…' Harry said running a hand along his chin in deep thought `It means I was wrong. For once. Completely and utterly wrong. I thought that time or fate or whatever it is that makes us crumble to whatever whims it has had brought us here because that was its plan, where in fact…'
Harry trailed of and looked even more intently at the still space around him, Hermione was still holding his hand and for some reason this seemed to calm her as she knew she was safe…for the time being anyway.
`That something else has led us here' Hermione finished for him `and probably something that isn't very nice'
`Who are you two?' Guy Fawkes said suddenly, reminding Hermione that her and Harry wasn't in fact alone. As she looked at him she could see he was working things out in his mind and that his ideas were probably quite close to reality.
`I…' Hermione stuttered as she thought through a million possible lies, but Guy quickly waved her away.
`I' m sorry, I have no right to ask that' Guy said apologetically as he looked away bashfully.
`Don't apologize' Harry said suddenly turning deadly serious `instead tell me any single thing that may be of any note whatsoever…however tiny or insignificant it may seem'
`I'll try' Guy said looking at him `but I really don't remember anything at all, the darkness and cold quickly takes over me'
`Cold?' Harry said in something that sounded like a small triumph `you didn't mention cold before?'
`I didn't?' Guy said `is it important?'
`Perhaps not at all' Harry said quickly `tell me anything else you know, and quickly'
`Well…after each dream…each nightmare…' Guy said, his eyes burrowing in concentration as he struggled to remember anything `I…I fell nothing…empty…'
`You feel empty?' Harry said raising an eyebrow `how so?'
`Like something was inside me…suffocating me somehow' Guy said.
A smile swept across Harry's face and a moment later he leapt forward at these words and enveloped Guy in a huge hug as he cheered loudly.
`How could I have missed it!' Harry said in excitement `for heavens sakes you had told me you had dreams you couldn't remember!'
Letting go of Guy he turned and hugged Hermione next, the only thing on his face which was in sight was a huge grin.
`Gargoyles!' Harry shouted in excitement `the keepers of the night time and dreams, the protectors of the Land of Nod. As the poem goes, they lure you into the world of dreams, and forever keep your soul!'
`It can't be!' Guy said, his face flooding with fear at the mention of this word, all colour instantly leaving his face
`I assure you it is' Harry said, a grin on his face from ear to ear.
`But they were…defeated…' Guy said quietly, as if he spoke the words too loudly then they would be disproved `weren't they?
`They were' Harry said running a hand through his hair as he paced back and forwards across the room `by me in fact'
`You?' Guy said in shock.
`So their no problem then?' Hermione said, a smile on her face as saw things turning their way yet again.
`I wouldn't say that' Harry said rather darkly.
`But if you beat them before…' Hermione pointed out.
`Then they couldn't possibly be here now' Harry pointed out matter of factly making Hermione groan. She now saw that things were in fact swinging the exact opposite way to where they were standing.
`Damn' Hermione said stamping her foot `for just once I'd like the dead to actually stay dead!'
`A dream of the highest order!' Harry said chuckling `no pun intended of course'
`So what are we going to do?' Hermione asked curiously.
`Well…we'll…' Harry said shaking his head slightly in confusion `we'll…you know…win'
`You have no idea, do you?' Hermione said, a flicker of a smile coming on her face.
`Not the one' Harry said brightly.
`Why are you two smiling?' Guy said in shock as the pair of them laughed before him.
`Because otherwise we'd cry' Harry said still laughing.
`According to you monstrous murderous Gargoyles that have been extinct for thousands of years have reappeared, and for some reason seem to be coming here, and all you two can do is laugh and act like…like… children!' Guy said in disbelief.
`Hermione, Guys right…' Harry said trying not to laugh `we have to stop kidding around'
Hermione had to clutch her side as she bent over double, laughing as hard as ever at Harry's purposefully poor joke, and couldn't stop herself as she saw the annoyance fill Guys face.
`If you two are going to be immature I'll just…' Guy started but Harry cut him off.
`What?' Harry said laughing again `go and blow up the houses of Parliament?'
Hermione fell into Harry as she laughed harder at the absurdity of their situation. As usual they had gotten themselves into more trouble than was plausible, more trouble than you could fill a normal lifetime with, and just about enough trouble to fill an average Wednesday in their lives.
It took Hermione moments to realize that only she was laughing now, that Harry had tensed up, one of his arms wrapped protectively around her as the other fished quickly inside his pocket for his wand.
Quickly she stepped back and looked around, Guy seemed confused by Harry's reaction while the room seemed as still and silent as ever.
`Their coming' Harry said softly, his wand rose in no particular direction at all.
`What do you see?' Hermione asked quickly.
`Echoes, ripples, vibrations…' Harry said, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the ceiling now `a whole freaking storm through time is coming'
`Through time?' Hermione asked wondering if this meant time travellers or just a shift in the actuality of their surroundings, like the telltale signs of magic and power Harry usually watched for.
`And space…' Harry said distractedly `This is way beyond Gargoyles…miles… light-years away from what they could possibly ever do…'
Hermione watched as Harry walked over to the heavily barred windows and stared out at the clouds. Hermione thought that even she could see the air somehow swirling around in what she assumed to be some sort of power vortex.
She held her breathe as the air started to get heavy, Guy had now withdrawn his wand as was searching around for something to point it at, but before he had found it Harry had thrown himself to the floor in an instant, leaving one large image trying to push through the bars of the window, it's teeth glistening in the reflection of the moonlight, its claws scratching desperately at the brickwork in search of a way in.
The gargoyles had come.
*
So that's part Four, slightly (hours) ahead of schedule…Last chapter of this adventure coming next…Hope you liked this. I've nearly finished the next chapter so that should be up tomorrow, and I hope you enjoy it.
Only two more adventures after this before the finale (which I'm writing again!), so all answers to everything is coming soon, I promise…
Jms Granger…
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